Excerpt:

A development partnership plans to invest up to $500 million to start the remake of the first 68 acres of the former Alameda Naval Air Station into a signature neighborhood intended to help attract 8,000 new jobs to the island city.

The plans envision retaining a portion of the air station's World War II-era buildings for commercial space with an eye on increasing the number of small-scale manufacturing, retailing and artisan-based businesses that the area already supports and adding up to 800 homes.